


Cup of Kindness

by msraven



Series: A Measure of Love [2]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Awkward situations, Family, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-12-05 07:43:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/720552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A companion piece to my fic Spoonful of Luck.</p><p>Five times Clint meets Momma Coulson and one time she meets Captain America.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cup of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ralkana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/gifts).



> Written as a thank you fic for [Ralkana](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/pseuds/Ralkana) who asked for “more from the Spoonful of Luck 'verse, with Momma Coulson telling Clint stories about bb!Phil ('cause he's just so adorable).”
> 
> Not sure if this is quite what you were looking for, but I hope it’s still satisfactory.
> 
> Since this is a companion to [Spoonful of Luck](http://archiveofourown.org/works/685533), there is a reference to Secret Avengers, but I think it’s relatively minor. I will also confess that I have limited comics ‘verse history, so let’s just consider this an AU. 
> 
> Warning: Small allusion to domestic abuse and mentions of drunk driving

1.  
Clint is not happy. 

He didn’t appreciate Hill and Fury using him as a glorified chauffeur, especially since the person Clint has been sent to fetch is none other than Agent Coulson. Clint knows he’s being slightly unreasonable in continuing to hold a grudge against Coulson for the whole memory modification thing, but Clint can’t get past the fact that it had been Coulson who’d injected them with the damn nanoparticles. Months after his recovery from multiple gunshot wounds - even after Stark had rendered the nanoparticles useless and Clint had come to an agreement with Hill to stay on as a full-fledged SHIELD agent on the stipulation there be no more mind games - Clint still couldn’t be in the same room as Coulson without wanting to punch the guy in the face.

Now Clint finds himself driving across town through the NYC traffic to Coulson’s apartment because the agent wasn’t picking up his phone - being on vacation is apparently not a good enough reason for Hill to excuse Coulson from a last minute mission leaving in a few hours. Between the traffic and the general annoyance from the errand itself, Clint is seething by the time he climbs the stairs up to Coulson’s third floor apartment. He feels no remorse in knocking on the door a little louder than necessary.

The door opens and Clint blinks in surprise. Standing in the open doorway is a beautiful older woman. Clint quickly catalogues her features - slim build, blue eyes, dark hair streaked with gray, a smattering of wrinkles that add to her air of refinement - and comes to the conclusion that she’s a relative of Coulson’s. What is the most striking, to Clint, is the warmth in her smile and welcome in her eyes. For reasons he can’t begin to fathom, Clint finds all of his anger and resentment bleeding away as her smile widens in greeting.

“Well hello,” the woman says. “You must be here for my son. I did finally convince him to answer his phone.”

Before Clint can introduce himself or say anything else in response, Coulson comes around the corner, shrugging on his suit jacket and freezing at the sight of the archer. “Are you sure you’re okay to head to the airport yourself, Momma? I can call you a ca -- Barton.”

Clint watches as Coulson’s eyes flick up and down, taking in the shirt and slacks Clint is wearing instead of his standard field uniform. Clint fights not to glare or roll his eyes - it seems rude to do so in front of Coulson’s mom - but even he knows that showing up at Coulson’s door as Hawkeye is far from inconspicuous. 

“I am perfectly capable of calling myself a cab, munchkin,” Coulson’s mother responds. “Hurry along. Don’t keep this nice young man waiting.”

Coulson walks out the door to the hallway where Clint is waiting, pausing to give his mother a kiss on the cheek as he goes. 

They’re halfway down the hall when Coulson’s mother calls out, “Be safe, Phil! And it was nice meeting you!”

Clint looks over his shoulder, unable to keep himself from responding with a smile and wave of his hand. He doesn’t complain when Coulson gets into the car on the driver’s side and the trip to HQ is spent in silence with Clint’s mind too focused on a different woman with blonde hair, sad eyes, and bruises covering the smooth skin of her face.

 

2.  
Breaking up Coulson’s vacations turns into a habit and Clint is once again sent out to fetch the wayward agent. This time at least, Clint gets to fly himself out to Chicago before driving over to a small house in the suburbs just outside the city. The house exudes warmth and Clint really isn’t surprised when Coulson’s mother opens the door with a smile.

“Ma’am,” Clint says in greeting. “Sorry to intrude again.”

“I’ve grown accustomed to the interruptions over the years,” Coulson’s mother says and waves at Clint to enter. “Please come inside. Phil had to jump in the shower. I made tea.”

“Thanks ma’am, but I don’t think we have time for --”

“Nonsense!” Coulson’s mother interrupts and hands Clint a teacup that feels much too delicate for his large, calloused fingers. “There is always time for tea, dear.” 

“Thank you, ma’am,” Clint responds automatically.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” Coulson’s mother says while holding out her hand for Clint to shake. “I’m Elizabeth Coulson.”

Clint takes shakes her hand and gives her a genuine smile. “I’m Clint Barton. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Is there any way I can get you to call me anything other than ma’am?” she asks.

“No, ma’am,” Clint replies with another smile. Elizabeth Coulson’s laughter rings musically through the room and Clint let’s his smile widen before his attention is fully diverted by a picture on the mantle. 

He leans closer and can’t keep the grin off his face. The picture is of a four or five year old Coulson, wearing a Captain America costume and brandishing a replica shield with a fierce look on his face. It’s the most adorable thing Clint has ever seen.

Mrs. Coulson steps up next to Clint and lets out another laugh when she sees what he’s looking at.

“Oh, my little munchkin,” she says fondly. “He wore that thing for a week until I was able to convince him it needed washing. After that, Phil insisted on wearing it every weekend until it fell apart beyond my ability to repair it.”

“How many years was he Captain America for Halloween?” Clint asks, noticing another picture further down the mantle.

“Every year until he turned thirteen,” she responds and Clint doesn’t miss the shadow that passes over her eyes. He’s pretty certain he knows the cause for it, but Coulson comes down the stairs before Clint can offer his condolences. 

“Barton,” Coulson greets with a nod that Clint returns. Their working relationship has gotten much better over the past few months and Clint is actually looking forward to their next field assignment together. “We should head out. Sorry, Momma”

“It’s alright munchkin, I understand.” Mrs. Coulson responds as Coulson leans down to hug her. “You be safe.”

“I’ll try,” Coulson promises.

Clint places his teacup back on the tray before moving to follow Coulson out the door, but he’s stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. Clint stops and Mrs. Coulson pulls him into a quick hug, stepping back before he can think of how to respond. 

“You be safe too, Clint,” she says with a gentle smile and Clint’s heart clenches in his chest.

“I’ll try, ma’am.”

 

3.  
It would be almost funny - if it wasn’t so horrific - that, despite their incredibly dangerous jobs, it’s a drunk driver that almost takes out the infallible Agent Coulson. 

Clint only finds out because he overhears Hill asking Fury when Coulson is expected to be back at work. Fury doesn’t know much, only that Phil’s prognosis is good and that he’ll probably be out of the field for several months. 

Clint doesn’t know what compels him to go to the hospital, except that Fury also mentioned that Coulson’s next of kin had been called and Clint’s own mother always told him that kindness should be returned. He pauses at the door and looks in the window, seeing a scarily still Coulson in the bed and Mrs. Coulson sitting vigil at his side. Clint takes a deep breath, pushing back his own bad memories of hospitals and drunk drivers, before stepping inside. 

Mrs. Coulson looks up in surprise before her face brightens in recognition when she sees Clint. “Clint! How nice to see you again,” she says and it breaks Clint’s heart a little to see the tear tracks marring her kind face. 

“Hi Mrs. Coulson,” Clint greets before walking over and handing her the cup in his hand. “I brought you tea. Earl Grey, right?”

“How lovely. Thank you, dear,” she responds and pats the plastic seat next to her. “Would you mind sitting with me for a while?”

“Oh, um, sure Mrs. Coulson,” Clint replies. He sits down and manages not to startle when she reaches down to hold Clint’s hand. Her hand is shaking, so Clint turns his hand until he’s the one holding hers, hopefully offering some silent support.

“So,” he asks softly, “ can you tell me more about Phil and his obsession with Captain America?”

 

4.  
Clint leans down to claim Phil’s mouth, giving him a deep kiss before sitting up and bracing his hands on Phil’s surprisingly muscular chest. Clint grinds down as Phil arches up and Clint can’t help throwing his head back with a pleasure-filled moan.

“ _Fuck_ , Clint,” Phil says through gritted teeth, “do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?”

Clint doesn’t respond and gives a little twist of his hips instead, causing Phil to groan and surge up to cover Clint’s mouth with his own. Clint lets their tongues slide against one another for a moment before he pushes against Phil’s chest to force him back down to the bed.

“None of that,” Clint scolds. “I have plans for you, Agent.” 

Clint does another little twist and Phil’s hands reach out to grip his hips, fingers digging into his skin in a delicious mix of pleasure and pain. 

Before Clint can move again, there’s a barely-there noise from the hall and the two men fly apart. Clint rolls completely off the bed and down to the floor where he’d left his sidearm, trying not to get tangled up in the bed linens that roll with him. In the space of a few seconds, both men have their guns drawn and pointed at the door.

“Oh!”

“Momma?!” Phil yelps and lowers his gun. 

The two Coulsons stare at each other in shock until Phil breaks out of his stupor long enough to grab a pillow to cover himself. Unfortunately, the pillow cannot cover the almost empty bottle of lube on the nightstand or the open condom wrappers scattered around - Clint and Phil had been having a very enjoyable weekend. Phil closes his eyes in mortification and flushes from his toes up to his ears.

“Hello Phillip,” Mrs. Coulson says, fighting a grin. 

Clint had thankfully stayed crouched behind the bed when he’d gone for his gun and is debating on whether he could conceivably slide under the bed completely when Mrs. Coulson turns toward him.

“Hello to you too, Clint dear,” she says warmly. Clint gives her a little wave and a smile that’s mostly a grimace. “It’s nice to see that my son finally stopped denying the obvious. He’s been attracted to you for quite some time.”

“Momma!” Phil complains from the bed. 

“Well it’s true, munchkin,” she points out.

“Well,” Clint interrupts, his smile morphing into a more genuine one as he looks between Phil and his mother, “I think the denial was mutual, Mrs. Coulson.”

Clint meets Phil’s eyes and watches as they soften fondly. Neither one of them are going deny that their getting together could and should have happened a lot earlier. 

“Well then I’m glad you both came to your senses,” Mrs. Coulson says with a wide smile. “I’ll just go into the kitchen and make some scones while you two get cleaned up. I hear shower sex is lovely and I’m sure I won’t be able to hear a thing over the noise of television.”

“Mom!” Phil cries in embarrassment and Clint drops his forehead down to the bed to hide his own blush.

“And Clint dear,” she continues, ignoring Phil’s interruption, “considering everything, I think you should at least call me Elizabeth.”

 

5.  
Clint is giddy, riding high on the happiness that came with Phil’s unexpected proposal, until they land in Chicago and the enormity of it crashes down, leaving him nervous and agitated.

“Clint. Calm down,” Phil says, laying a hand on Clint’s knee that is bouncing uncontrollably as they drive to the Coulson house. “My mother loves you.”

“I know. It’s just...” Clint trails off, unsure of what he’s really nervous about.

Elizabeth has been nothing but kind and welcoming to Clint over the last two years. The three of them have spent a lot of time together both in New York and Chicago. Elizabeth hadn’t been shy in showing Clint all of Phil’s childhood photos and they’d laughed together over the many pictures of Phil in his myriad of Captain America costumes. Clint had even spent time at the house without Phil earlier this year to fix the broken fence in the backyard. He shouldn’t be nervous, but he is.

Clint realizes, as they pull up to the house, that today is different because the simple engagement ring on his finger means he’s no longer just a casual boyfriend. Marriage brings with it a permanency that Clint hasn’t experienced in a long time. Nobody, until Phil, had ever _chosen_ to keep Clint as a permanent part of their lives. It’s very possible that Elizabeth may like Clint well enough as Phil’s boyfriend, but be unhappy with Phil choosing him as a husband.

“Stop over-thinking,” Phil admonishes as he takes the container of scones out of Clint’s hands and pushes him gently toward the house.

Elizabeth has come out to the front porch to greet them and Clint sees her eyes move from the scones Phil is holding and over to Clint’s hand. The pure joy that overtakes her features makes Clint feel enormously silly for ever being nervous. By the time Clint is standing directly in front of her with a shy smile, there are happy tears pooling in her eyes. Elizabeth wraps her arms around Clint and he melts into her embrace. 

“Welcome to the family.”

 

+1.  
Clint is happier than he ever thought possible.

The wedding, as much as Phil and Clint had fought it, turns out to be a fairly large affair. Between the Avengers, SHIELD, and Phil’s family, a lot of invitations are sent out and nearly everyone attends both the short ceremony and reception. Clint is more than a little overwhelmed that so many people want to celebrate their marriage.

At the moment, Clint has lost track of where his husband has gone in the large banquet hall, but he’s content to have one of the most beautiful women in the room on his arm. Clint spies a familiar figure standing by the bar and walks them over with a smile.

“Hi Steve,” Clint greets before turning to his companion. “I’d like to introduce you to Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America.” 

Steve smiles warmly at them as Clint turns back toward him. “Steve, I’d like you to meet...Momma.” 

_fin_


End file.
